Shahed Y. Ghoghawala, M.D.

I have wanted to be an ophthalmologist even before I knew how it was spelled. In fact I still have my high school yearbook where I am quoted as saying “I hope to go to medical school and specialize in opthomology.” I have been privileged to live out my dream to be an ophthalmologist and am happy to say that my passion has only grown with the reality of my experience of eye disease treatments, research, and international opportunities.

As a medical student, I met a man with a history of severe alkali cornea burns who was the recipient of the first prosthetic cornea in Northern California. For the first time since 1966, he was able to see the faces of his wife and daughters. What an amazing gift this man was given through the advancements in ophthalmology.

In addition to research, I have had the opportunity to see what a remarkable difference one can make internationally, where millions are poor because they are blind, and they are blind because they are poor. My experience with the Himalayan Cataract Project allowed me to visit the Tilganga Eye Clinic in Kathmandu, Nepal. I saw the astounding burden cataracts account for in terms of global blindness. I also spent two weeks at Fundación Visión in Asunción, Paraguay, where I performed the same cataract surgery that I had observed as a medical student in Nepal.

Since moving to Corpus Christi, Texas, and joining South Texas Eye Consultants, my ophthalmology practice has flourished, allowing me to help people with many types of eye disease. It is astonishing at how the advances in technology are improving our ability to recover vision, through evolving modes of cornea transplant, intraocular lenses, and laser surgery. It is a blessing to be a part of a wondering community, where I can help people with one of their most important senses—vision.